Battery-lamp.



J. F. KERLIN.

BATTERY LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9. 1915.

Patented om. 3,1916.

ATTORNEY UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. KERLIN, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOB T0 NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY,

A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

BATTERY-LAMP.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed February 19, 1915. Serial No. 9,402.

used in the past have been more or less eX- pensive to make, ifconstructed in a substan-- tial way, and those of simpler arrangementhave the objection that the' lamp is not suffiv ciently protectedagainst breakage.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections by providinga lamp that is simple in construction and so arranged that the bulb andother lamp parts are secure from breakage in ordinary use.

Other objects will appear in the appended description.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 is a section through a standard six-inchcell, with the lamp attached. Fig. 2 is a top view of the battery shown'in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section through the .lamp reflector, with a rscrewed in place to prevent the pitch seal from covering the contactportion of the carbon electrode. Fig. 4 illustrates a further meansof-accomplishing the same result i as in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top view ofa modif modification shown in Fig. 5.

fication. Fig. 6 is a partial section of the Fig. 7 is a. sectionthrough a. vest pocket type of flashlight. Fig. 8 is a partial sectionof a y type of switch that can be applied to any of the modifications.Fig. 9 is a partial section of another form of switch. Fig. 10 is vapartial section of a cell having a remov- 1 able binding post in thelamp socket. Fig.

llis a modification having two permanent binding posts.

In Fig. 1, luis the carbon electrode, 2 the l battery mix surrounded bya bibulous lining 3, or a cloth bag, as desired. The zinc can 4 acts asthe positive electrode in the usual way and is surrounded by a jacket 5.Before pouring in the seal on top of the battery mix, I electricallyconnect the lamp refiector 6 to the zinc can by soldering or otherwiseattaching one or more metalstrips 6. In Figs. 1 and 2, three such stripsare shown, so that the reflector is rigidly held in place. To preventthemolten pitch from covering the top of the electrode, a rod 7 of wood,metal or any other material, can be screwed down in the lamp socketuntil it rests against the contact portion of the electrode. The moltenpitch or other seal is then poured in around the lamp reflector until itis flush with the -top of the can'and the reflector. The rod 7 is thenremoved and the lamp inserted. A

The contact portion 7 of the carbon electrode can consist of an ordinarydriven dowel or of type metal cast in a cavity in the upper end of thecarbon. The usual -carbon cap 8 can also be employed as shown in Fig. 6.

Instead of using the rod 7 to prevent the p itchfrom covering thecontact portion of odthe electrode, a band of paper, fiber or otherinsulating material 8 may be fitted around the outside of the lampsocket, yso that when the molten seal is poured in,`it cannot reach thecentral part of the electrode. In this modification the insulating bandwould be left in the battery permanently. It is not absolutely necessarythat an arrangement be used to prevent the pitch from covering the topof the electrode, as it may be drilled or otherwise 'removed from theelectrode after it has solidified.

In the modification shown in Fig. 1 no switch is shown, and the lampvwill be lighted or extinguished by screwing the bult` down or outrespectively. With the standard six-inch cell, the light is usually lefton for a considerable length of time, so that a quick acting switch isnot required, but in some cases such a switch may be of advantage, and Ihave illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, a switch which consists of a bar ofmetal 9 pivoted on the usual binding screw 10 of the cell. This barcontacts with the upper porcut from the same, may serve this purpose.

Another form of switch is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the reflector is madewith an arm 12 that extends above the zinccan, or the binding post 10. Ascrewcontact 13 can be threaded through this arm, so that permanentcontact can be made by screwing the same down into engagement with thebinding post. Also by pressing down :on the screw 13, the arn will bendand a quick make-and-break switch is had.

In Fig. 9 I have shown the arm 12 soldered or otherwise secured to thezinc can, and extending inwardly toward the lamp refiector, so thatcontact can be made with the same, by either screwing down the screw 13or by pressing on the same. Many other types of switches could obviouslybe used with my improved form of lamp.

In some of the miniature flashlights now.

found on the market, a permanent nickeled case is provided that/ costsas much, if not more, than the battery itself. In other types, a stiffmetal case is provided, which is covered with imitation morocco. Thereis, of course, a demand lfor such expensive types of casings, but thereis a much greater demand for an efficient miniature flashlight which hasbeen reduced in cost by the elimination of all expensive features thatdo not add to the worth of the battery and lamp attachment. For thisreason my improvement is admirably adapted to miniature flashlights, asno outer casing is needed and no expensive lamp attachments arenecessary. While my improvement could`be used with the tubular type offlashlight, I have illustrated, by way of example, the so-called vestpocket type, in whichv three miniature batteries are placed side byside'. These batteries have the usual zinc cali 4 and central carbonelectrode 1 which may have a metal cap or other contact piece. The cellsare insulated from each other by insulating strips 15 and are incased ina paper jacket 16. The three cells will be connected in series, so' thatone terminal ofthe battery isthe zinc can 4 on the left of the figure,and the other terminal, the carbon electrode .1 of the central cell.

A small lamp reflector 6 is secured in the seal 5', as in the othermodifications, so that the lamp is secured in the seal beneath the topof the battery. Contact can be made by screwing the lamp in or out, butI have shown a preferred form of switch, consisting of an arm 17 securedto the reflector andbent over the side 'of the battery.- A-

hole 18 is made in the jacket 16 beneath the free end of the arm 17, sothat by pressing down on the arm the kcircuit Willbe completed and thelamp lighted. By releasing pressure'on the arm the circuit will bebroken.

No connection between the cells and the battery of Fig. 7 has beenshown, as it would complicate the showing, but the connection would beobvious toanyone skilled in the art. For instance, the zinc can 4 of thecentral battery would be secured to the carbon electrode 1 of the cellon the right, and the can 4 of this cell would in turn be connected tothe carbon 1 of the battery on the left.

The switch illustrated in Figs. 5, 8 and 9 could obviously be used onthe battery shown in Fig. 7. A lens could be used with the reflectorshown in the various figures, but I prefer to use, especially in thevest pocket type of battery, that type of lamp bulb which itself acts asa lens. Such types of lamps are on the market and are used in flashlightbatteries.

In order to make my form of battery adaptable to either flashlight orordinary use, a connector or binding post may be supplied as shown inFig. 10. When this terminal is screwed in place, the cell is adapted forstandard usage. By removing the connector and inserting a lamp bulb it'is converted into a lighting battery.

1. In a battery lamp, positive and negative electrodes, a seal in theend of the batterv and a reflector embedded in the seal and electricallyconnected to one electrode.

2. In a battery lamp, positive and negative electrodes, a seal at oneend of the battery, a cavity in said seal, and a lamp in the cavityadapted to be electrically connected to both of said electrodes.

3. In a battery lamp, positive and negative electrodes, a seal in oneend of the battery, a lamp reflector embedded in said seal, a lamp inthe reflector in engagement with one electrode, and a switch adapted toclose contact between the lamp reflector and the other electrode.

4. In a battery lamp, a plurality of cells connected -in series, ajacket surrounding said cells, a pitch or analogous seal in the top endof 'said jacket covering the cells, a lamp reflector embedded in saidseal, and a switch and a terminal post connected to each elecadapted toelectrically connect the reflector trede. 10 with one terminal of thebattery, and a lam In `testimony whereof, I hereunto ailiX my bulbcontacting with the reflector and wit signature.

5 the other terminal' of said battery. JOHN F. KERLIN.

' 5. In an electric. battery, positive and Witnesses:negative-electrodes, a seal in the end of the J. H. CROSBY,

battery, a reflector embedded in the seal,` H. G. GRovER.

